Embracing a greener lifestyle is about more than the environment, it can also improve your health, save you money, and improve your quality of life by adding a greater purpose to your decisions. While it's easy to get overwhelmed, it's also simple to begin making a positive impact. The truth is that everything single thing we do every day has an impact on the planet (good or bad). The good news is that you have the power to control your choices and align your decisions with your values. You do not need to put lot of money towards going green, in fact it becomes simple by making small changes to your daily lifestyle. Why wouldn't you want to “go green” and share this message with our children?
Here are the EG Top 10 eco-essentials:
Ode’ to Thrift stores: No matter where I live or visit I can always rely on finding one or more reuse stores that will provide my needs. Shopping in thrift stores for clothing, toys and household items saves me money and helps reduces overall consumption.
Reduce Plastic: Alway buy condiments and beverages in glass when possible. You can reuse glass over and over and don't have to worry about toxins, this additional applies when opting for items like eco-food wraps instead of saran wrap. These simple decisions reduce the consumption and production of plastic. We are conditioned to think that we dont matter when in fact our actions create a ripple effect which is a force best used to spread a positive message, Some other things to consider is opting to use reusable produce and shopping bags.
Kitchen Scraps: To start composting is always recommended, it creates healthy soil to grow healthy food, creates a home for beneficial microbes and you have so many options to choose from. You can make your own compost, dig a pit or purchase one. Also consider freezing some of your veggie scraps to make soup stock which will save you money and from eating the additives that can be found in most store bought options. Additionally, you can use kitchen scraps to start your own garden by harvesting your own seeds and regrowth techniques.
Mason Jars: Mason jars are a staple in most homes because they are so versatile and last forever if you take care of them. Fynn is very good with glass because its all he knows and he has broken very few things in this time. In our home mason jars are used for fermenting, pickling, canning, dry food storage, freezing and everyday dishware.
Straws: Did you know straws cannot be recycled and pose a serious threat, in the U.S. alone 500 million straws are used each day. That is enough straw waste to wrap the circumference of the earth 2.5 times or to fill Yankee Stadium over 9 times in a year. This is just one reason why opting for stainless steel straws is a recommended option.
Kitchen: In the kitchen choose glass, wood and metal options, because they are most sustainable. This being said if you have plastic instead of throwing it all away, replace the items slowly and give the plastic to you kids for an outdoor kitchen. Another material I have become fond of is silicone. A few years ago we started adding in items like spatulas, muffin cups and baking mats.
Convenience: A go to for parents convince today is food pouches, being disposable and convenient this is creating a lot of waste. If this is something you do, consider reusable food pouches. I bought these for Fynn and would fill them with leftover soup and smoothies which he loved, you can freeze them too making it super convenient for you too.
Mouth: Instead of using the typical teething methods many moms are opting for amber teething necklaces, we did this too. Amber has anti-inflammatory and therapeutic properties, it also contains immune boosting properties, all this and more aids the reduction In teething pain and calms a baby without resorting to drugs. Another thing we did was switch to a bamboo toothbrush, did you know, toothbrushes are made from a combination of plastic (made from crude oil) and rubber for the hand piece, nylon for the bristles, and a mix of plastic and cardboard for the packaging. None of these items are biodegradable. Additionally, the United States has estimated that over 850 million toothbrushes are discarded and end up in landfill every single year.
Swap Parties: If you like most people, I bet you have many items in your closet and home that you don't want to part with even though you have outgrown the happiness it once brought you. This is where swap parties come in. Instead of boxing you stuff up for a stranger or holding on to it for a lifetime, you collect it all and ask your friends to do the same. You then meet up a couple times a year to cleanse the old and maybe even take in some new. Whatever is left over next time can be donated. Recycling your items is the best way to implement a green way of living or an easy way to enhance your eco-mama lifestyle.
Raw Materials: Many of us enjoy a good DIY project, but did you know its also sustainable and an awesome creativity outlet. Wood, bamboo and recycled materials are all great choices for eco-mammas. One of my best successes was this Kitchen Helper for Fynn - check out the DIY here.
If your an eco-mama, or interested in becoming more eco-friendly join the plastic-free parent challenge by using #plasticfreeparent to share, meet and learn with the eco tribe. Additionally, if you want to purchase anything listed in this blog please check out the original post here: https://elementalgrowth.wordpress.com/blog/
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